Stump Speaking from Wikipedia.
While researching the Hamiltons in Bourbon and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky, I've discovered this interesting biography. It's full of information and further confirms our Morgan family history posted here.
“Among the many distinguished men who have figured in our early history, none deserve a higher honor than Colonel John Sanderson Morgan. His father, Jared [Garrard II] Morgan, was a native of Virginia, and his mother, Sarah Sanderson, of South Carolina. They emigrated to Kentucky about 1797, and settled in Nicholas, then Bourbon County, near the Blue Lick Springs, where he was born January 6, 1799. In 1812, his father died, leaving him, and his mother and a large family, upon a small and poor farm. Upon this he struggled heroically, laboring both late and early to secure an education for himself and to aid in the support of the family. In this respect, his history corresponds precisely with that of General Thomas Metcalfe. In 1824, he was elected to the Legislature from Nicholas by the suffrages of the “old Court” party. Soon after this, he came to Carlisle and opened a dry-goods store in partnership with William C. Rainey. In May, 1828, he was married to Eleanor Bruce, of Fleming County. The newly married couple began housekeeping where Henry Stewart now lives, and the store of Morgan & Rainey was held in the frame house on Front street, now Sammons & Brother. Mr. Rainey retiring soon after 1828, Mr. Morgan went on in business with James Squires. Not long after, Mr. Squires retired, and was succeeded by Robert P. Hughes. Colonel Morgan was elected a member of the Board of Trustees four years successively, to wit: August, 1829, 1830, 1831 and 1832. In 1833, he was elected for the second time to the Kentucky Legislature. In March, 1834, having bought out Thomas Jones, he moved to the county, sold out all his interest in town property, and devoted his whole time to the cultivation of the farm. As a farmer, he was eminently successful, and from his annual earnings continued to add to his landed estate, until he owned near twelve hundred acres, extending on both sides of the road from the town suburbs to Old Concord. In 1838 and 1844, Colonel Morgan was elected a member of the Kentucky Senate from Nicholas and Bourbon—the last time, over Mr. Jacob Hutzell, of Bourbon, after a heated contest upon the subject of relief, or anti-relief. In the great National interest of 1840 and ’44, Colonel Morgan took an active part as a stump-speaker. He was indeed, for years the leader of the Whig party in Nicholas. His plain, straight-forward style of presenting facts, his evident sincerity and well-known integrity of purpose, always insured him a warm reception at all public meetings.
"In October, 1847, he packed up and took leave of Carlisle for his new home in Covington. He bought a handsome piece of property in the suburbs of the city, and of this he at once took possession. It was about the year 1849, that the building of both the Kentucky Central and the Maysville and Lexington Railroads was projected. Colonel Morgan showed his public spirit by subscribing liberally to both. He gave the Maysville road the right-of-way through his farm, and also a subscription of two thousand dollars. In 1840, he was elected President of the Covington and Lexington road. To the completion of this great work he now bent his whole time and energies, not forgetting often to likewise send words of cheer to the Directors of the Maysville road.
"In 1852, Colonel Morgan was appointed Presidential Elector for the Tenth District of the Whig party of Kentucky, in the great Presidential struggle between General Winfield Scott, and General Franklin Pierce."
History of Bourbon, Scott, Harrison and Nicholas Counties, Kentucky, by Robert Peter, M. D., Edited by William Henry Perrin., Illustrated, 1882, History of Nicholas County, pages 411-12. FHL, US/CAN 976.94, H2p
